Emotional depth and resilience depend on active engagement with others and with our own feelings. Mental acuity diminishes in the absence of on-going intellectual challenge (s34)

To perform at our best, we must access pleasant and positive emotions; the experience of enjoyment, challenge, adventure and opportunity (s44)
Find balance between exercising emotional muscles regularly and intermittent recovery.

The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress & to communicate consistently positive energy lies at the heart of effective leadership (s45)

The mental energy that best serves full engagement is realistic optimism - seeing the world as it is, but always working positively towards a desired outcome or solution. (s48)

Maximum mental capacity is derived from a balance between expending and
recovering mental energy.

The highest form of creativity depends on a rhythmic movement between
engagement and disengagement, thinking & letting go, activity and rest.

When we lack the mental muscles we need to perform at our best, we must
systematically build capacity by pushing past our comfort zone & then
recovering.

Continuing to challenge the brain serves as a protection against age-related
mental decline (s50)

Slides Transcript

Some Impressionistic
takes from the book Jim Loehr & Tony Schwarrtz “The Power of Full
Engagement” by R. Ramakrishnan (Ramki) ramaddster@gmail.com

About the AuthorJim
Loehr is Chairman , CEO and co-founder of LGEperformance systems and is
recognized globally for hiscontribution to the field of performance psychology.
He hasworked with hundreds of world-class athletes, as well as
policedepartments, emergency service workers. He co-founded LGEin 1993 to begin
applying principles developed during his workwith athletes to corporate
executives. He has authored 12books including the best selling “ Stress for
success &Toughness Training for sports”Tony Schwartz is President and
founder of the Energy projectwhose mission is to ignite a fire in the hearts of
theorganizations & their leaders. He is the author of 3 other
booksincluding the No.1 best-selling “ Art of the deal with DonaldTrump, What
really matters , Searching for wisdom in Americaand Work in progress. He has
been a reporter for The NewYork times , an associated editor of Newsweek.

PreludeEnergy, not
time, is our most precious resource. Energy is the fundamental currencyof high
performance. Performance, health and happiness are grounded in the
skilfulmanagement of energy.Leaders are the stewards of organizational
energy—in companies, organizations, andeven in families. They inspire or
demoralize others first by how effectively theymanage their own energy and next
by how well they mobilize, focus, invest andrenew the collective energy of
those they lead. The skilful management of energy,individually and
organizationally, makes possible something that we call fullengagement. Full
engagement is the energy state that best serves performance.The pace of change
in the world has finally outstripped our abilities as humans tokeep up. The
worst part is we feel powerless to do anything about it, that we havejust do
the best we can, get through the day & deal with the rest of it
tomorrow.The power of full engagement : Managing Energy , Not time is the key
to highperformance and personal renewal

Objective – Perform
in the Storm Build the necessary capacity to sustainhigh performance in the
face of increasing demand

1Human Energy Vs.
Engagement

EnergyEnergy is
fundamental currency of highperformance
Capacity is a function of one’s ability to expend & recover energy
Every thought, feeling and action has a energy consequence.
Energy is the most important resource to individual and organization Our most
critical resource is our energy ,Most fail to manage it effectively

Kinetic energy - Energy in -> Potential Energy -> Energy out

Sources of Human
Energy
Physical
Fundamental source of fuel
Affects alertness, emotional management , concentration, creativity &
commitment
The size of energy reservoir depends on
Patterns of breathing
Food we eat and when we eat it
The quality & quantity of sleep
Intermittent recovery opportunities during day
Level of our fitness Physical capacity is reflected in one’s ability to expend
and recover energy at the physical level- defined by Quantity of energy

Sources of Human
Energy
Emotional
Defines the quality of energy given
Emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, sadness are
associated with release of specific stress hormones
The size of energy reservoir depends on
Our self confidence
Our ability to self-regulate
Our interpersonal effectiveness
Our ability to empathize Emotional capacity is reflected in one’s ability to
expend and recover energy at the emotional level- defined by quality of the
energy

Sources of Human
Energy
Mental
Defines the ability to focus our energy
Allows us to concentrate (sustain focus), move fluidly between broad/narrow and
internal/external focus and be creative
Permits us to have realistic optimism (i.e., seeing the world as it is but
moving positively toward a desired outcome or solution)
The size of energy reservoir depends on
Our mental preparation & Our visualization
Our positive self-talk &
Our ability to manage our time effectivelyMental capacity is reflected in one’s
ability to expend and recover energy at the Mental level- defined by the focus
of the energy

Sources of Human
Energy
Spiritual
Energy derived from out connection to our deeply held set of values and to a
purpose beyond our self-interest
Defines the motivation and perseverance to spend our energy
Sustained by balancing commitment to others with personal self-care
The size of our energy reservoir depends on:
Our courage & conviction to live by our values
Our passion & Our commitment
Our integrity and honesty Spiritual capacity is reflected in one’s ability to
expend and recover energy at the Spiritual level- defined by force of the
energy

2 Dynamics of Full
EngagementThe acquired ability to intentionally invest your full and best
energy, right here, right now.

The Power of Full
Engagement Old Paradigm New Paradigm
Manage time
Manage energy
Avoid stress
Seek stress
Life is a marathon
Life is a series of sprints
Downtime is wasted time
Downtime is productive time
Rewards fuel performance
Purpose fuels performance
Self-disciple rules
Rituals rule
The power of positive thinking
The power of full engagement

Full Engagement
Requires you to be Spiritually Aligned Mentally Focused Emotionally Connected
Physically Energized Optimal energy in the context of high performance Physical
Energy is the foundation for the full engagement

Barriers to Full
Engagement

Barriers to full
engagement
Negative habits that block, distort, waste, diminish, deplete and contaminate
stored energy
Not knowing
Not tracking / not focusing on the goals

Strategic Recovery (
in all dimensions) Energy expenditure must be balanced with energy recovery.

Measuring Energy
The quantity of available energy (physical) is measured in terms of volume (low
and high).
The quality of available energy (emotional) is measured in terms of unpleasant
(negative) to pleasant (positive).
The focus of available energy (mental) is measured in terms of broad to narrow
and external to internal.
The force of available energy (spiritual) is measured in terms of self to
others, external to internal and negative to positive.

Full Engagement
PrinciplesManaging Energy , not time is key to high performance Four
Principles:
Principle 1 : Full engagement requires drawing on four separate but related
sources of energy: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
Principle 2: Because energy capacity diminishes both with overuse and with
underuse, we must balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal.

Full Engagement
PrinciplesFour Principles:
Principle 3 : To build capacity, we must push beyond our normal limits,
training in the same systematic way that elite athletes do.
Principle 4 :Positive energy rituals—highly specific routines for managing
energy—are the key to full engagement and sustained high performance.

The Dynamics of
Energy- 4 Quadrants Full Engagement Is possible only when our energy is present
in the high positive quadrant Physical Energy –capacity is measured in terms of
quantity – Low to High Emotional Energy- Capacity in quality – Negative to
Positive

Principle 1- contd..
Four sources of energy are interconnected in much the same way as the cylinders
of a car engine.
If cylinder misfires, the entire engine sputters.
Physical & emotional energies are our most fundamental energies.
Together they describe our affect- how we present ourselves to the external
world .

Principle 1- contd..
As important as the high positive energies are to full engagement , the
energies of low positive quadrant also deserve comment.
They are the energies of the “ Strategically disengaged” the energies of
renewal.
This leads to Principle 2 …..

Principle 2Because
energy capacity diminishes both withoveruse & with underuse. We must
balance energyexpenditure with intermittent energy renewal
In order to be fully engaged we must periodically disengage & renew
ourselves
We can’t expect to be fully engaged 100% all the time. We need to recover &
replenish our energies
Recovery is not only important, it’s actually necessary for optimal
performance.

Principle 3To build
capacity, we must push beyond our normallimits, training in the same systematic
way that eliteathletes do.
Stress is not the enemy in our lives, it is the key to growth.
To build strength in our muscle we must systematically stress it, expending
energy beyond normal levels.
This causes microscopic tears in the muscle fibers resulting in diminished
functional capacity.
Give the muscle 24 to 48 hours to recover & it grows stronger & better

Principle 3
Like we build physical strength for our muscles, we need to build muscles in
every dimension of our lives
From Empathy & patience to focus & creativity to integrity &
commitment.
What applies to the body applies equally to the other dimensions of life.
This insight both simplifies & revolutionizes the way we approach the
barriers that stand in our way.

Principle 4Positive
Energy Rituals-highly specific routines formanaging energy – are the key to
full engagement &sustained high performance
Human beings are creatures of habit.
Change is difficult – what we do is automatic & unconscious.
It is difficult to sustain the effort over long haul.
Will & discipline are far more limited resources than most of us realize.
The status quo has a magnetic pull on us

Making Change- 3
Step Process (1/2 )
Define Purpose -surface and articulate the most important values to define a
vision both personally & professionally.
Connecting to a deep set of values & creating a compelling vision fuels a
uniquely high- octane source of energy for change, it also serves as a compass
for navigating the storms that inevitable arise in our lives.
Face the Truth - it is impossible to chart a course for change until you are
able to look honestly at who you are today.
The first question to ask is :
How are you spending your energy today?
Facing the truth begins with gathering credible data.

Making Change- 3
Step Process (2/2 )
Take Action- to close the gap between who you are and who you want to be .
between how you manage your energy now and how you want to manage your energy
to achieve whatever mission you are on.
This step involves building a personal development plan grounded in positive
energy rituals.
Building rituals requires defining very precise behaviours and performing them
at very specific times . motivated by deeply held values.

3The Pulse of High
Performance(Balancing Stress & Recovery)

Balancing Stress
& Energy
Energy is simply the capacity to do work. Our most fundamental need as human
beings is to spend & recover energy. The authors call this oscillation.
The opposite of oscillation is linearity: too much energy expenditure without
recovery or too much recovery without sufficient energy expenditure.
Balancing stress and recovery is critical to high performance both individually
and organizationally.

Balancing Stress
& Energy
We must sustain health oscillatory rhythms at four levels of what they term the
performance pyramid.: physical, emotional, mental & spiritual.
We build emotional, mental & spiritual capacity in precisely the same way we
build physical capacity. We must systematically expose ourselves to stress
beyond our normal limits, followed by adequate recovery.
Emotional depth & resilience depend on active engagement with others &
with our own feelings. Mental acuity diminishes in the absence of on-going
intellectual challenge.

Balancing Stress
& Energy
Spiritual energy capacity depends on regularly revisiting our deepest values
& holding ourselves accountable in our behaviour.
Full engagement requires cultivating a dynamic balance between the expenditure
of energy (stress) & the renewal of energy (recovery) in all dimensions.
The authors call this rhythmic wave oscillation, and it represents the
fundamental pulse of life.
Expanding capacity requires a willingness to endure short- term discomfort in
the service of long-term reward. The key to expanding capacity is both to push
beyond ones ordinary limits and to regularly seek recovery, which is when
growth actually occurs.

4Physical Energy
-Fueling the Fire

Physical Energy- 1/4
Physical energy is the fundamental source of fuel in life, even if our work is
almost completely sedentary. It not only lies at the heart of alertness &
vitality but also affects our ability to manage our Emotions, Sustain
concentration, Think creatively, and even maintain our commitment to whatever
mission we are on.
Physical energy is derived from the interaction between oxygen & glucose.
The two most important regulators of physical energy are breathing &
eating. The size of our energy reservoir depends on the patterns of our
breathing, the foods that we eat & when we eat them, the quantity and
quality of our sleep, the degree to which we get intermittent recovery during
the day & the level of our fitness.

Physical Energy -2/4
The breath is a powerful tool for self regulation- a means to summon energy
& to relax deeply.
Extending the exhalation prompts a powerful wave of recovery. Breathing in to a
count of three & out to a count of six, lowers arousal & quiets not
just the body but also the mind and the emotions.
Eating 5 to 6 low-calorie, highly nutritious meals a day ensures a steady
resupply of glucose & essential nutrients. Sustained performance depends
not just on eating at regular intervals but also eating only as much as you
need to drive your energy for the next 2 to 3 hours. Snacks between meals
should typically be between 100 & 150 calories & should focus on
low-glycemic foods such as nuts & sunflower seeds, fruits, or half of a
typical- size 200 calorie energy bar

Examples –
Eating-When & how Example 1: Only eating 2 large meals per day Eat every 3
hours +/- 1 hour Never go more than 4 hours without eating! Example 2: Only 3
small meals & 3 small snacks

Physical Energy- 3/4
Drinking 64 ounces of water daily is a key factor in the effective management
of physical energy. Inadequate hydration compromises concentration and
coordination.
Most human beings require 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night to function
optimally. In addition to its energy renewing function, sleep is also a period
during which substantial growth & repair occur – most of it at the deepest
level of sleep, when slow- wave delta brainwaves are dominant.
Going to bed early and waking up early help to optimize performance.

Physical Energy- 4/4
Interval training is more effective than steady-state exercise in building
physical capacity & in teaching people how to recover more efficiently.
To sustain full engagement, we must take a recovery break every 90 to 120
minutes. Just as we cycle through levels of sleep at night, so our potential
for engagement varies during our waking hours.
Brief periods of rest are crucial to sustaining energy over long hours.

5 Emotional
EnergyTransforming threat into challenge

Emotional Energy-
1/3
Emotional intelligence, from the authors perspective, is simply the capacity to
manage emotions skilfully in the service of high positive energy & full
engagement.
In order to perform at our best, we must access pleasant & positive
emotions; the experience of enjoyment, challenge, adventure and opportunity.
The key muscles fuelling positive energy are self-confidence, self-control,
interpersonal effectiveness and empathy.
Access to the emotional muscles that best serve performance depends on creating
a balance between exercising them regularly and intermittently seeking
recovery. Physical and emotional energy are inextricably connected.

Emotional Energy-
2/3
Negative emotions serve survival but they are very costly & energy
inefficient in the context of performance. For leaders and managers, negative
emotions are doubly insidious, because they are also infectious.
The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress &
to communicate consistently positive energy lies at the heart of effective
leadership.
Access to the emotional muscles that serve performance depends on creating a
balance between exercising them regularly & intermittently seeking
recovery.

Emotional Energy-
3/3
The delicate dance of a healthy friendship can be a powerful source both of
positive energy & of renewal. The pulse of a strong relationship involves a
rhythmic movement between giving & taking, talking and listening, valuing
the other person and feeling commensurately valued in return.
Any activity that is enjoyable, fulfilling and affirming serves as a source of
emotional renewal and recovery.
Emotional muscles such as patience, empathy & confidence can be
strengthened in the same way that we strengthen a bicep or a triceps: pushing
past our current limits followed by recovery

6 Mental
EnergyAppropriate Focus & Realistic Optimism

Mental Energy- 1/3
Just as physical energy is the fundamental fuel for emotional competencies, so
it is the fuel for mental skills. Mental capacity is what we use to organize
our lives and focus our attention. Nothing so interferes with performance and
engagement as the inability to concentrate on the task at hand. To perform at
our best we must be able to sustain concentration, and to move flexibly between
broad & narrow, as well as internal and external focus.
The mental energy that best serves full engagement is realistic optimism .
seeing the world as it is, but always working positively towards a desired
outcome or solution.

Mental Energy- 2/3
The key supportive mental muscles include mental preparation, visualization,
positive self-talk, effective time management & creativity.
Changing channels mentally permits different parts of the brain to be activated
& facilitates creativity.
Physical exercise stimulates cognitive capacity. It does so by driving more
blood and oxygen to the brain
Thinking uses up a lot of energy. The consequences of insufficient mental recovery
range from increased mistakes of judgment & execution to lower creativity
and a failure to take reasonable account of risks. The key to mental recovery
is to give the conscious, thinking mind intermittent rest.

Mental Energy- 3/3
Maximum mental capacity is derived from a balance between expending and
recovering mental energy.
The highest form of creativity depends on a rhythmic movement between
engagement and disengagement, thinking & letting go, activity and rest.
When we lack the mental muscles we need to perform at our best, we must
systematically build capacity by pushing past our comfort zone & then
recovering.
Continuing to challenge the brain serves as a protection against age-related
mental decline

7 Spiritual EnergyHe
who has a why to live

Spiritual Energy
Spiritual energy provides the force for action in all dimensions of our lives.
It fuels passion, perseverance and commitment.
Spiritual energy is derived from a connection to deeply held values & a
purpose beyond our self- interest.
At the practical level, anything that ignites the human spirit serves to drive
full engagement & to maximize performance in whatever mission we are on.

Spiritual Energy
Character - the courage & conviction to live by our deepest values is the
key muscle that serves spiritual energy.
The key supportive spiritual muscles are passion, commitment, integrity and
honesty.
Spiritual energy expenditure & energy renewal are deeply interconnected.
Spiritual energy is sustained by balancing a commitment to a purpose beyond
ourselves with adequate self-care.
The capacity to live by our deepest values depends on regularly renewing our
spirit - seeking ways to rest & rejuvenate & to reconnect with the
values that we find most inspiring & meaningful.

8The Training System

Defining Purpose-
Rules of Engagement
The most compelling source of purpose is spiritual, the energy derived from
connecting to deeply held values and a purpose beyond one’s self-interest.
Purpose creates a destination. We become fully engaged only when we care
deeply, when we feel that what we are doing really matters. The search for
meaning is among the most powerful & enduring themes in every culture since
the origin of recorded history.
The “Hero’s journey” is grounded in mobilizing, nurturing & regularly
renewing our most precious resource, energy, in the service of what matter
most.

Defining Purpose-
Rules of Engagement
Purpose fuels focus, direction, passion & perseverance.
When we lack a strong purpose we are easily buffeted by life’s inevitable
storms.
Purpose becomes a more powerful & enduring source of energy when its source
moves from negative to positive, external to internal & self to others.
A negative source of purpose is defensive & deficit- based. Purpose fuelled
by the feeling of deficit also narrows our attention & limits our
possibilities.
Intrinsic motivation grows out of the desire to engage in an activity because
we value it for the inherent satisfaction it provides.

Defining Purpose-
Rules of Engagement
Values fuel the energy on which purpose is built. They hold us to a different
standard for managing our energy. A value is ultimately just a roadmap for
action.
Values we fail to reflect in our behaviour are ultimately empty.
A value in action is a virtue. Alignment occurs when we transform our values
into virtues. Simply identifying our primary values is not sufficient. The next
step is to define more precisely how we intend to embody the values in our
daily lives, regardless of external pressures

Face the Truth- How
are you managing your energy now ?
Facing the truth about the gap between who we want to be & who we really
are is never easy. Each of us has an infinite capacity for self-deception.
Facing the truth frees up energy & is the second stage, after defining
purpose, in becoming fully engaged.
Avoiding the truth consumes great effort and energy.
At the most basic level, we deceive ourselves in order to protect our
self-esteem. We each have our own well- funded defence department.
We do things like numb out, rationalize against the truth & intellectualize
as a means of acknowledging the truth cognitively without experiencing its
impact emotionally

Face the Truth- How
are you managing your energy now ?
Some truths are too unbearable to be absorbed all at once. Emotions such as
grief are best metabolized in waves.
Truth without compassion is cruelty, to others & to ourselves.
What we fail to acknowledge about ourselves we often continue to act out
unconsciously.
A common form of self-deception is assuming that our view represents the truth,
when it is really just a lens through which we choose to view the world. It is
really just an interpretation.
Facing the truth requires that we retain an on-going openness to the
possibility that we may not be seeing ourselves, or others, accurately

Face the Truth- How
are you managing your energy now ?
Facing the truth requires making yourself the object of inquiry - conducting an
audit of your life & holding yourself accountable for the energy
consequences of your behaviours.
It is both a danger & a delusion when we become too identified with a
singular view of ourselves. We are all a blend of light and shadow, virtues and
vices.
Accepting our limitations reduces our defensiveness & increases the amount
of positive energy available to us.
The Serenity Prayer is a perfect primer on ideal energy management: God grant
me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the
things I can; & the wisdom to know the difference. We spend vast amounts of
energy worrying about people & situations over which we have no control.
Far better to concentrate our energy on that which we can influence.

Taking action- The
Power of Positive Rituals
Rituals serve as tools through which we effectively manage energy in the
service of whatever mission we are on.
Rituals create a means by which we translate our values & priorities into
action in all dimensions of our life.
All great performers rely on positive rituals to manage their energy &
regulate their behavior
The limitations of conscious will & discipline are rooted in the fact that
every demand on our self control draws on the same limited resources
We can off-set our limited will & discipline by building rituals that
become as automatic as quickly as possible , fueled by our deepest values.
The most important role of rituals is to insure effective balance between
energy expenditure & energy renewal in the service of full engagement.

Taking action- The
Power of Positive Rituals
The most exacting challenge and the greater the pressure, the more rigorous our
rituals need to be. The bigger the storm, the more inclined we are to revert to
our survival habits, & the more important positive rituals become.
Precision & specificity are critical dimensions of building rituals during
the thirty-to sixty-day acquisition period. The specificity & precision of
rituals also makes it more likely that we will be able to produce them under
pressure.
It also helps to assure that our rituals themselves remain fuelled by our
deepest values.
By building a ritual to regularly revisit our vision we can insure a strong,
continuing connection to the source of energy such a statement provides.
Far from precluding spontaneity, rituals provide a level of comfort, continuity
and security that frees us to improvise and to take risks

Key take away/ Bear
in mind
Managing energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.
Performance is grounded in the skillful management of energy.
Great leaders are stewards of organizational energy. They begin by effectively
managing their own energy. As leaders, they must mobilize, focus, invest,
channel, renew, and expand the energy of others.
Full engagement is the energy state that best serves performance.
Review the Four Principles.
Making change – 3 steps process

About Me

Software Developer with 17 years experience as senior developer and tech lead in many large and small agile teams. I enjoy consulting with teams to implement improvements in development, testing, and devops practices leading to higher-quality software. I've experienced many of the pros and cons of Agile/Scrum/XP/DevOps and I'm always looking for continuous improvement in both team efficiency and personal skill. I believe the world needs more well-rounded developers, capable of seeing themselves in the bigger picture, able to quickly spot bottlenecks in the delivery pipeline - whether it be in Dev, QA, or Ops - and work with a sense of urgency to fix them with cutting-edge technical ability while using well-honed interpersonal skills to help improve the culture around them. Passionate about giving back to the community, I co-organise the DevOps Brisbane Meetup group and help run study groups for professional software developers on topics such as AWS Solutions Architect Certification, Continuous Delivery, Functional Programming, NoSQL & Distributed Systems, and enjoy inspiring IT professionals to sharpen their craft through professional development and group learning.